Yeah, but my point was not about who Jesus is or even who Rob Bell is. My point is that if we're going to go after someone like this- especially a brother- we should really take a look and make sure we know well what we're talking about and also that the person is definitely wrong. Otherwise, we duplicate a mistake that Jesus was very opposed to.

Understood and agreed, but in all truthfulness, were someone to buy the book and take issue with it, I get the feeling that you would STILL be opposed to their interpretation of it.

I have to disagree. If one is familiar, from the source, with what Bell says or does, then there is little assuming involved. He is very clear in his points and messages. Regardless, most refuse to approach the source and therefore make their own arguments against him very weak.

I wasn't speaking of Rob Bell.

I agree, but this has two sides to it. There is a lot of freedom affirmed in this too. This coincides with what Jesus said about His yoke being lighter.

Possibly, but not when it has the potential to lead people away from Him.

corby

May 24th, 2007, 08:30 PM

I believe that one of the many reasons false Churches are growing, is too many of us are afraid to speak out the truth. We don't want to offend the sheep. But brothers and sisters, we should be offended when we see fellow sheep being led astray by false teachers. Someone might say what does it matter if he teaches that Genesis is false? Well, in my opinion, it is opening the door to the sheep disbelieving even more of the Bible. In the last 6 months I have come across "Christians" who want to remove from the Bible everything written by Paul and another group was to remove everything written by Solomon. False teachers are taking God's Word and removing parts to fit their own ideas.
It is shameful.:ohno Yes, when we speak the truth, we are opening ourselves up for ridicule but better to be made fun of now then to face God knowing we allowed His Word to be compromised without doing anything.
If the sheep are offended by our words, we can pray that God will open their eyes to the truth, but we must speak up.

:yay:yeah:thumb

grape on the vine

May 24th, 2007, 08:34 PM

Understood and agreed, but in all truthfulness, were someone to buy the book and take issue with it, I get the feeling that you would STILL be opposed to their interpretation of it.
I might, but that's obviously based on me know what I think about it all. I would still view any rebuttal with much more legitimacy.

I wasn't speaking of Rob Bell.
Sorry. I must have missed something.

Possibly, but not when it has the potential to lead people away from Him.
Yeah, but Christians have the potential to lead people away from Jesus. Most things are double-edged swords. I wouldn't recommend that everyone just go on the "freedom" kick. Some things aren't there for certain people to have freedom in.

Harley

May 24th, 2007, 09:36 PM

There are right ways and there are wrong ways to go about judging the teaching of fellow believers.

corby

May 24th, 2007, 10:40 PM

There are right ways and there are wrong ways to go about judging the teaching of fellow believers.

You mean like thw way Paul did to Peter as he describes it in Galatians 2?

11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed;
12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.
13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?
And is continues through to the end of the chapter. He publically, in front of them all, got in Peter's face and called him a hypocrite and holing him responsible for leading others in the same hypocracy.

Would that be the right way to judge the teachings of other believers? Not very "loving" if you ask me.

Christy

May 25th, 2007, 06:47 AM

All I can add is that I'm not a Rob Bell fan. I listened to some of his tapes and all I can say is "Yikes - thanks but no thanks". The best way I can personally describe him is "new age christian". I prefer not to get into his "camp".

Christy

May 25th, 2007, 08:05 AM

There are right ways and there are wrong ways to go about judging the teaching of fellow believers.

And there are biblical ways:

Test all things; hold fast what is good.
Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.

By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

Buzzardhut

May 25th, 2007, 08:19 AM

You know, the religious attacked Jesus this same way. Interesting...
We that disagree with Bell have enough discernment to know the difference between Truth and Lies.
We are not Pharisees and Bell is not Jesus.
Bell does not bring us a new improved Gospel for our post modern culture.
Bell delivers the same old New age lies satan started in the garden with Eve.

Christy

May 25th, 2007, 08:42 AM

Bell delivers the same old New age lies satan started in the garden with Eve.

I couldn't agree with you more. I listened to some of the "breathe" tape - the New Age Movement has something very similar to this.

grape on the vine

May 25th, 2007, 08:46 AM

We that disagree with Bell have enough discernment to know the difference between Truth and Lies.
I hope so. We'll see one day.

We are not Pharisees and Bell is not Jesus.
Covered in post # 29

Bell does not bring us a new improved Gospel for our post modern culture.
I don't think he's ever claimed in any way that he's trying to accomplish this. In fact, in most of his sermons, etc. he spends a lot of time looking back to the context of the first century Jews. Nothing new, or improved about any of that.
Have you ever actually listened to him?

Bell delivers the same old New age lies satan started in the garden with Eve.
So you've condemned him then?